Ariane 5 is transferred to the Final Assembly Building

12 February 2004

The Ariane 5 for ESA's unique comet intercept mission is one major step closer to lift-off, following the vehicle's transfer to the Final Assembly Building on 10 February.

This milestone clears the way for the Rosetta spacecraft to be integrated on top of the Ariane 5 on a schedule leading to lift-off of Flight 158 from the ELA 3 launch complex in the early morning hours of 26 February.

The photograph above shows the nearly-completed Ariane 5 emerging from the Launcher Integration Building, at Europe's spaceport at Kourou, in French Guiana where the vehicle underwent its initial build-up. Towed by a special-purpose truck, the Ariane is installed on a mobile launch table that rolls along a dual rail track at the spaceport.

Transfer of the Ariane 5

Transfer of the Ariane 5 began at 10.15 (local time) on Tuesday morning and lasted for 30 minutes.

The vehicle is shown as it leaves the Launcher Integration Building on its mobile launch table, which includes the umbilical mast on which the V158 flight number is inscribed.

('V' is for the French word vol meaning 'flight'.)

Midway through the transfer

Halfway through the transfer process, the Ariane 5 and its launch table are framed by blue skies and French Guiana vegetation.